Aviation: Ministers

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what  (a) the original and  (b) the current estimated costs are for the Royal and ministerial air travel project; and from what budgets resources are being drawn.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 12 June 2007,  Official Report, column 908W. The service will be funded from existing travel budgets at no extra cost to the taxpayer.

Transport: Disabled

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on improving access to the transport system for people with  (a) learning and  (b) physical disabilities in the most recent year for which information is available.

Gillian Merron: Under the Disability Discrimination Act, it is a legal requirement that all new buses, coaches and rail vehicles comply with relevant accessibility regulations. Access to transport infrastructure is also covered by the Act.
	The Government have made a commitment that access for disabled people will be a condition of new public investment in transport. It is not possible to disaggregate spending which improves access as all departmental expenditure invested in these transport systems will benefit disabled people.
	The Department has a specific programme, Access for All, to improve access to railway stations for disabled passengers. The Department spent £24.3 million in financial year 2006-07 on the programme and this funding will provide benefits for people with all types of disability.

Travel: Concessions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which operators are in discussions with his Department on local authority re-imbursement of concessionary fares; what the  (a) amount involved and  (b) local authority is in each case; when he expects to issue further guidance on the matter; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Bus operators who consider the level of local authority reimbursement for concessionary fares as inadequate may appeal to the Secretary of State. To date, eighty-eight appeals have been lodged for the 2007-08 financial year.
	A list of the schemes appealed against, and the applicants for each, are listed in the table which has been placed in the Libraries of the House. It would not be appropriate to give further details of the appeals whilst they are being determined.
	The appeals will be determined by an independent adjudicator, acting on behalf of the Secretary of State, in due course.

Inland Waterways: UN Conventions

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made by the UK in ratifying the United Nations Convention on the Law of the non-navigational uses of international water courses; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: I have been asked to reply.
	This matter was first raised by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) on 22 March 2007 in a letter sent to DEFRA, DFID and FCO. In response, we have met both with representatives from WWF and with officials from DEFRA and FCO to discuss the potential benefits and implications of UK accession.
	The matter is not straightforward. We do not believe that any potential domestic benefits justify the resources that would be required, given that the UK has no issues with trans-boundary water management. However, we need to do more work to determine whether or not there is a development case for accession. We need to be clear on real benefits on the ground and ensure that this does not just place a further burden on governments in our partner countries. We will reach a view on this in the autumn and feed this into cross Whitehall consultations with DEFRA and the FCO.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the new logo by Wolff Olins for the Olympics 2012 cost; which other design consultants were considered for the design of the logo; and what estimate she has made of the additional costs required to rebrand all current Olympics 2012 publicity material, including each relevant website.

Tessa Jowell: The design cost of the new London 2012 brand is a matter for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). The cost, which is in the public domain, is in the region of £400,000. This sum comes from LOCOG's budget of £2 billion, which is funded from private sources.
	The selection of companies is also a matter for LOCOG. I understand a brief was drawn up and a long list of companies with expertise in this field from the UK and abroad was assembled. LOCOG met with these companies and drew up a short list, all of whom had the opportunity to put their case for the design and development of the new brand. Wolff Olins were appointed as the preferred company to develop the thinking behind the brand and the official emblem.
	LOCOG do not have a central estimate of the additional cost required to rebrand all London 2012 publicity material.

Armed Forces: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the clinics which treat post-traumatic stress disorder for members of HM armed forces; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) currently have 15 military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH) across the UK to provide community-based mental healthcare. These are as follows:
	1. Kinloss (Inverness)
	2. Leuchars (Edinburgh)
	3. Faslane (Glasgow)
	4. Aldershot (Hampshire)
	5. Brize Norton (Oxfordshire)
	6. Catterick (North Yorkshire)
	7. Colchester (Essex)
	8. Cranwell (Lincolnshire)
	9. Marham (Norfolk)
	10. Plymouth (Devon)
	11. Portsmouth (Hampshire)
	12. Tidworth (Wiltshire)
	13. Donnington (West Midlands)
	14. Woolwich (London)
	15. Lisburn (Northern Ireland)
	Similar satellite facilities are available to service personnel serving overseas in Germany and Cyprus.
	The care provided in these facilities is multidisciplinary in nature. Teams comprise of consultant psychiatrists, community mental health nurses, psychologists and specialist social workers; the individual's medical condition dictates which disciplines are involved in their care. The approach to assessment and treatment is delivered in accordance with national guidance (issued through NICE) and is delivered in conjunction with the patient's general practitioner and where appropriate, key individuals in the patient's chain of command.
	If a service person's condition requires a period of in-patient assessment and/or treatment, patients can be admitted to an in-patient facility under the MOD's contract with the Priory Healthcare Group. This contract provides specialist assessment and treatment in a facility proximate to their home unit or home. During a period of in-patient care, the Defence Mental Health Services continually liaise with the patient and their medical team through a nominated service liaison officer (SLO) who is a senior mental health nurse.
	The primary aim of assessment and treatment, be it community or hospital based is correct diagnosis (as early as possibly), treatment and stabilisation, rehabilitation and return to work. If the patient's condition and prognosis dictates that he/she can no longer service in the armed forces, the focus is on a seamless transfer of care and support from the military medical and welfare services to the NHS and other relevant bodies.
	The MOD also provides a care programme for recently demobilised reserve personnel called the Reserves Mental Health programme (RMHP). Under the RMHP, we liaise with the individual's GP and offer a mental health assessment at the Reserves Training and Mobilisation Centre in Chilwell. If diagnosed to have a combat-related mental health condition, we then offer out-patient treatment via one of the MOD's 15 Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs). If more acute cases present, the DMS will assist access to NHS in-patient treatment.

Armed Forces: Recruitment

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the  (a) affordability and  (b) deliverability within existing allocated resources of the Army Recruiting and Training Division draft Man Plan 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: The Army Recruiting and Training Division (ARTD) draft Management Plan 2007 details the training programme required to meet the individual training needs of the army over the plan period. The Plan takes account of the ARTD's capacity to deliver training. The army has a standard in-year management process whereby plans and resources are kept in balance.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the  (a) strategy and  (b) tactics of the Mahdi Army; and for how many attacks on UK service personnel he estimates it to have been responsible.

Des Browne: holding answer 4 June 2007
	The Jaysh al-Mahdi also referred to as the Mahdi Army, which acts as the militia wing of the Office of the Martyr Sadr are opposed to the presence of Multi National Forces in Iraq and wish to see their withdrawal. Jaysh al-Mahdi and its factions have been responsible for many attacks against coalition forces including UK troops.
	We routinely assesses the capabilities and objectives of insurgent and militia groups in Iraq including the Jaysh al-Mahdi. I am withholding further details as its disclosure would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of our armed forces.

Departments: Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which  (a) advertising agencies and  (b) other organisations supplied consultancy services for advertising campaigns for (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the cost of these services was.

Jim Fitzpatrick: No consultancy services for advertising campaigns bought through the COI were purchased by DTI during these years. Information regarding other such spending by DTI and its Executive agencies is not held centrally and to provide this information would be at disproportionate cost.

Electronic Equipment: Waste Disposal

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consideration he has given to exempting small and medium sized businesses from the requirements of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive.

Malcolm Wicks: The WEEE directive does not allow member states for a "de-minimis" approach which would exclude small businesses from its scope. The UK Regulations ensure that small businesses are not disproportionately affected and both the registration fees for producers and distributors are scaled according to company size.

Energy: Conservation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to paragraphs 2.69 and 2.70 of the Energy White Paper, what estimate he has made of the number of free visual real-time displays of energy consumption to be given to consumers in each year from 2008.

Malcolm Wicks: Around 1.25 million electricity meters are replaced each year. Each household whose meter was replaced would be eligible to receive a display device, subject to its being technically possible to fit one. Additionally, the Government estimates that up to 5,000,000 customers might request a display device from their supplier over the two-year period to 2010. The proposals in the Energy White Paper will be subject to consultation including testing these assumptions—in the coming months.

Seals: Animal Products

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with the Canadian government on the annual Canadian commercial seal hunt; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: Canada is aware of the UK's opposition to their commercial seal hunt and the matter was last discussed at Government level when I met Canada's Ambassador for Fisheries and others on 28 March. The Canadians also raised the issue at the EU-Canada Summit on 4 June 2007.

Local Government: Standards

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities, classified by Government office region, have public service agreement (PSA) targets which include adoption targets; what the target for adoption is in each case; and how much money each local authority will receive if it achieves all of its PSA targets.

Phil Woolas: There are 61 reward targets in Local public service agreements and local area agreements which measure performance on adoption and/or stability of placements for looked-after children. Reward would be payable to Local authorities and their partners for achievement of these particular targets. Details on each target have been made available in the Library of the House.

Vulture Funds

Brian Iddon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps the Government are taking to tackle the operation of vulture funds.

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions his Department has had with HM Treasury on vulture funds; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID regularly works closely with HM Treasury on vulture funds.
	The UK deplores the actions of 'so-called' vulture funds and will work to limit their impact by:
	working with the World Bank to make the debt reduction facility, which helps countries buy back their commercial debts at heavily discounted rates, more effective;
	working with the African Development Bank and others to ensure that countries have access to legal assistance to fight ongoing cases;
	proposing a voluntary charter for creditors to help avoid debts being sold to vulture funds;
	strengthening debt management in heavily indebted poor countries.

Lebanon: Internally Displaced Persons

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the numbers of individuals displaced within Lebanon by the recent violence; and whether any changes are planned to the UK's humanitarian assistance for Lebanon.

Hilary Benn: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) has reported that due to the recent violence in Lebanon, over 20,000 people have been displaced from the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp. Most have fled to the nearby Beddawi refugee camp and some to other refugee camps in South Lebanon. Indications are that there are between 3,000 and 5,000 refugees remaining inside the camp. UNRWA estimates that around 27,000 refugees were living in the camp before the crisis, although some reports put the number as high as 40,000.
	The UK is providing £100 million of unearmarked funding over five years to UNRWA, of which around 20 per cent. historically goes to Lebanon. This support provides UNRWA with the funding predictability that enables more effective planning, and the flexibility for UNRWA to allocate funds where they are most needed. We will continue to watch how the situation in Lebanon develops and remain ready to provide additional support as appropriate based on humanitarian need and the country's and agencies' ability to respond. The FC is providing €370,000 of humanitarian assistance of which the UK share is £45,000.

Somalia: Human Rights

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on  (a) the human rights situation and  (b) compliance with humanitarian law in the last month in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: We are concerned about the human rights situation in Somalia. In his report to the UN Security Council on 21 May, UN Emergency Relief Co-ordinator John Holmes spoke of "severe breaches of international humanitarian law during the recent fighting, with indiscriminate use of massive force in civilian areas, apparently by all sides". He also spoke of major human rights violations, including abductions and unlawful killings; and concerns over the apparent arbitrary detention, deportation, and disappearance of individuals.
	We condemn human rights violations wherever they arise. All parties in Somalia are aware of our stance on this issue.

Mentally Ill: Community Care

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the merits of bringing forward amendments to the Mental Health Bill to enable a patient issued with a community treatment order to appeal against restrictions imposed by that order.

Rosie Winterton: The amendments to which my hon. Friend refers were debated at the tenth sitting of the Public Bill Committee on the Mental Health Bill on the 10 May 2007, when I set out the Government's views on this matter. The Government have also replied fully to the Joint Committee on Human Rights on this point.
	As I outlined at Committee, given the nature of the conditions and the involvement of patients in setting the conditions for supervised community treatment, the Government do not believe that a third party appeals process would be appropriate.

Cemeteries: Inspections

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the minimum technical specifications are for a gravestone topple tester; and what the qualifications are for the  (a) operative and  (b) data recorder.

Anne McGuire: The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) does not consider the risk posed by toppling gravestones to be a priority as compared to other workplace risks. Therefore, HSE has not produced any guidelines on the minimum technical specifications for topple testers. However, the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 require that a risk assessment is undertaken by a competent person to identify any measures needed to control the risks caused by a workplace hazard. In undertaking an assessment of the stability of gravestones the competent person will need to apply an appropriate test.

Child Support Agency: Pay

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many bonuses were awarded to senior civil servants working at the Child Support Agency in each year between 1997 and 2006; and what the total cost was of those bonuses in each year.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Jos Joures, dated 13 June 2007:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency, the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is out of the country, I am responding, with his authority, on his behalf.
	.
	The table below contains the number and total of bonus payments awarded to senior civil servants in the Agency since 2001-02. The Agency offers bonuses to Senior Civil Servants as part of performance related pay deals, based on year long performance measures. Bonuses are also offered to Senior Civil Servants in recognition of considerable additional work. There is no statutory requirement to keep accounting records longer than 6 years. I am therefore unable to supply information prior to 2001/02 financial year.
	
		
			  £ 
			   Number of bonuses awarded  Total bonus payments 
			 2001-02 4 13,192 
			 2002-03 7 47,000 
			 2003-04 7 38,120 
			 2004-05 10 38,550 
			 2005-06 11 83,024 
		
	
	The increase in the size of average bonuses in 2005-06 compared with 2004-05 reflects the substantially improved performance of the Agency over that period. In particular, comparing 2005-06 with 2004-05:
	55,000 more children were in receipt of maintenance;
	There were 28,000 fewer uncleared cases;
	Over 20,000 more of the poorest parents with care were receiving the Child Maintenance Premium, with payments up by £670,000 every month;
	Accuracy increased from 75% to 81% on the scheme, and from 78% to 84% on the old scheme; and
	Client Service in the Agency improved substantially with 91% of calls to the Agency answered, up from 84%, and a 40% reduction in the average time taken to answer calls.
	These performance improvements laid a solid foundation for the launch of the Operational Improvement Plan in April 2006, and were a vital component of the improved, and improving, service offered by the Agency today.
	I hope you find this answer helpful.

Public Expenditure

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  by which date he expects each policy review being undertaken as part of his Comprehensive Spending Review to be completed;
	(2)  which of his Comprehensive Spending Review policy reviews have reported;
	(3)  how many staff have been working as part of his Department's Comprehensive Spending Review on the reviews of  (a) counter-terrorism and security,  (b) mental health and employment outcomes,  (c) sub-national economic development and regeneration,  (d) supporting housing growth and  (e) future role of the third sector in social and economic regeneration, broken down by payband.

Stephen Timms: As set out in Budget 2006, PBR 2006 and Budget 2007 a number of cross-cutting reviews will inform the decisions to be made in the CSR. A number of these have already reported:
	Eddington Transport Study—published December 2006
	Leitch Review of Skills—published December 2006
	Stern Review on the Economics of Climate Change—published October 2006
	Barker Review of Land Use Planning—published December 2006
	Lyons Review of Local government—published March 2007
	Energy Review: meeting the energy challenge—published May 2007
	 Children and Young People's Review
	Aiming high for children: supporting families (both prevention and families in a cycle of low achievement)—March 2007
	Aiming high for disabled children: better support for families—May 2007
	Review of positive activities for young people—still to report.
	Non specific date has been set yet for the outstanding reviews to be published.
	The cross-cutting reviews, listed are being worked on by officials across government. Within HMT a wide range of staff across teams are contributing to and working as part of these reviews—whether full-time, part-time or as an aspect of their team's work. Each review is also guided by senior input and direction from team leaders, Directors, Managing Directors and Ministers.

Welfare Tax Credits: Appeals

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many written  (a) appeals and  (b) complaints there were in relation to tax credits for each (i) month, (ii) quarter and (iii) year from April 2003 to May 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: For information about the number of appeals relating to tax credits, up to and including October 2006, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that the Paymaster General gave the hon. Member for Wycombe (Mr. Goodman) on 19 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1740W.
	Details for the period November 2006 to May 2007 were:
	
		
			  Month  Number of appeals (around) 
			  2006  
			 November 880 
			 December 650 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 790 
			 February 810 
			 March 830 
			 April 700 
			 May 610 
		
	
	For information about the number of complaints in relation to tax credits up to and including 2004-05, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that the Paymaster General gave the hon. Member for Walsall, North (Mr. Winnick) on 15 June 2005,  Official Report, columns 398-399W. Information for 2005-06 and 2006-07 was published in the HM Revenue and Customs departmental report in May 2007 which is available on the HMRC internet site at:
	http://customs.hmrc.gov.uk/channelsPortalWebApp/downloadFile?contentID=HMCE_PROD1_027505
	The number of complaints received in each month in 2005-06 and 2006-07 was around:
	
		
			  Month  Number of complainants (around) 
			  2005  
			 April 5,650 
			 May 4,400 
			 June 5,550 
			 July 5,900 
			 August 5,400 
			 September 5,400 
			 October 5,650 
			 November 5,700 
			 December 4,150 
			   
			  2006  
			 January 4,850 
			 February 5,100 
			 March 4,900 
			 April 3,900 
			 May 4,350 
			 June 5,250 
			 July 4,950 
			 August 5,100 
			 September 4,400 
			 October 4,800 
			 November 5,250 
			 December 3,650 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 4,450 
			 February 4,300 
			 March 4,100 
			 April 3,250 
			 May 4,000

Welfare Tax Credits: Fraud

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he plans to release the latest estimates of tax credit fraud and error in  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The HMRC publication "Child and Working Tax Credits. Error and Fraud Statistics 2003-04" is available on the HMRC website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/error-fraud.htm
	For information on Child and Working Tax Credit Fraud and Error Statistics in 2004-05 I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member on 2 November 2006,  Official Report, column 585W.
	No release date has been set as yet for the publication of the 2005-06 fraud and error statistics.

Police Custody

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many  (a) female prisoners,  (b) prisoners under the age of 18,  (c) prisoners who are undergoing a Crown Court trial,  (d) prisoners at risk of self-harm,  (e) prisoners remanded for serious offences who are potentially Category A and  (f) prisoners who have a history of either escape attempts or disruptive behaviour have been housed in police cells under Operation Safeguard in the last 12 months.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Gerry Sutcliffe: No female prisoners, prisoners under the age of 18 or potential Category A prisoners have been held in police cells under operation safeguard in the last 12 months.
	We assess all prisoners considered for accommodation in police cells under operation safeguard for risk of self harm, potential to escape and disruptive behaviour with a view to excluding those who demonstrate a high level of risk of these behaviours.
	The number of prisoners held in police cells under operation safeguard while undergoing a Crown court trial is not available.

Young Offenders: Suicide

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many  (a) suicides,  (b) attempted suicides,  (c) self-harm incidents and  (d) prisoner-on-prisoner assaults there were in young offender institutions in each year since 1997.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following table shows the numbers of apparently self-inflicted deaths in Young Offender Institutions since 1997.
	
		
			   Number of self-inflicted deaths( 1) 
			 1997 9 
			 1998 7 
			 1999 10 
			 2000 8 
			 2001 6 
			 2002 6 
			 2003 3 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 9 
			 2006 1 
			 (1 )The Prison Service definition of self-inflicted deaths is broader than the legal definition of suicide and includes all deaths where it appears that a prisoner has acted specifically to take their own life. 
		
	
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 28 November 2006,  Official Report, columns 671-72W, to question number 103622 for the information requested at  (b) of his Question.
	The following table shows the numbers of recorded self-harm incidents in Young Offender Institutions since 1997.
	
		
			   Recorded self-harm 
			 1997(1) 144 
			 1998(1) 300 
			 1999(1) 384 
			 2000(1) 473 
			 2001 494 
			 2002(1) 686 
			 2003 1145 
			 2004 1310 
			 2005 1579 
			 2006 1836 
			 (1 )The numbers of recorded self-harm incidents (or figures derived from them) before and after 2003 (when improvements for self-harm recording were introduced under the new F213SH procedures) should not be compared directly.  Note: Figures overall should not be taken as absolute. 
		
	
	The information requested at  (d) in relation to prisoner on prisoner assaults is provided in the following table. Data for 1997-99 is not centrally available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. They should not be taken as absolute.
	
		
			   YOI( 1) 
			 2000 2562 
			 2001 3005 
			 2002 2976 
			 2003 2945 
			 2004 3544 
			 2005 4435 
			 2006 4707 
			 2007(2) 1047 
			 (1 )Excludes data from establishments also holding older prisoners. (2) Up to 28 April

Apprenticeships

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many apprenticeships were  (a) created and  (b) completed in each of the last three years.

Phil Hope: Figures for apprenticeships completed can be derived from the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) work based learning (WBL) individualised learner record (ILR).
	 (a) The volume of learner starts on apprenticeship frameworks is published by the LSC in the annual Statistical First Release "Further Education, Work Based Learning and Adult and Community Learning—Learner numbers in England". The volumes for the previous two full years are collated in the following table. The data for 2003/04 showed the number of learners as opposed to the number of starts and therefore is not consistent with the latest data.
	
		
			   Advanced apprenticeship s  Apprenticeship s 
			 2003/04 n/a n/a 
			 2004/05 53,900 134,500 
			 2005/06 52,100 122,800 
		
	
	 (b) The number of achievers (students who successfully completed the framework) for the last three years are shown in the following table.
	
		
			   Advanced apprenticeship s  Apprenticeship s 
			 2003/04 23,820 45,540 
			 2004/05 25,950 61,190 
			 2005/06 32,990 77,180 
		
	
	Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10 learners.

Apprenticeships

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of apprenticeship training providers funded by the Learning and Skills Council are  (a) employers,  (b) colleges of further education,  (c) independent training providers,  (d) local authorities and  (e) other in (i) England, (ii) each region and (iii) broken down by sector skills council.

Phil Hope: Data on Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships is collected on the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). The table shows the volume and percentage of apprenticeship training providers funded by the LSC broken down by provider type for each region in England in 2005/06. It is not possible to associate learning providers to Sector Skills Councils.
	
		
			  Volume and percentage of apprenticeship training providers funded by the LSC broken down by provider type for each region and England — 2005/06 
			   East of England  East Midlands  Greater London  North East  North West 
			  Type  No.  % in region  No.  % in region  No.  % in region  No.  % in region  No.  % in region 
			 Chamber of Commerce 230 1 870 3 — — 460 2 510 1 
			 Independent school or college — — — — 100 0 — — — — 
			 Organisation in Business in its own right 28,390 67 21,510 66 16,090 71 9,410 41 47,480 64 
			 Other Private Organisation — — 390 1 430 2 4,700 21 2,140 3 
			 External Institution — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Sixth form college 70 0 — — 100 0 — — 280 0 
			 Special college—Agriculture and Horticulture 650 2 1,320 4 50 0 — — 1,210 2 
			 Special college—Art, Design and Performing Arts — — — — — — — — — — 
			 General FE College inc. Tertiary 11,830 28 7,890 24 4,760 21 4,690 21 13,210 18 
			 Higher Education Organisation — — 280 1 — — — — 160 0 
			 Local Authority 20 0 450 1 — — 110 0 — — 
			 Local Education Authority (LEA) 450 1 50 0 300 1 1,670 7 1,060 1 
			 Other Public Organisation 10 0 — — 50 0 350 2 50 0 
			 Charitable 690 2 — — 620 3 1,430 6 7,690 10 
			 Non-charitable — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Other Voluntary Organisation — — — — — — — — — — 
			 Other Local Authority 130 0 — — 140 1 — — 0 — 
			 Total 42,480 — 32,740 — 22,640 — 22,810 — 73,780 — 
		
	
	
		
			   South East  South West  West Midlands  Yorkshire and Humberside  England 
			  Type  No.  % in region  No.  % in region  No.  % in region  No.  % in region  No. 
			 Chamber of Commerce — — — — 2,220 4 1,310 3 5,600 
			 Independent school or college — — — — — — — — 104 
			 Organisation in Business in its own right 53,630 67 21,080 50 35,430 65 25,540 61 258,540 
			 Other Private Organisation 1,040 1 790 2 1,870 3 1,690 4 13,040 
			 External Institution 190 0 70 0 — — 180 0 440 
			 Sixth form college 340 0 60 0 100 0 — — 950 
			 Special college—Agriculture and Horticulture 520 1 490 1 370 1 650 2 5,260 
			 Special college—Art, Design and Performing Arts — — 30 0 — — — — 30 
			 General FE College inc. Tertiary 12,620 16 13,580 32 12,190 22 9,670 23 90,440 
			 Higher Education Organisation — — — — 120 0 250 1 810 
			 Local Authority — — 740 2 360 1 550 1 2,210 
			 Local Education Authority (LEA) 690 1 70 0 230 0 880 2 5,400 
			 Other Public Organisation 30 0 4,550 11 1,250 2 190 0 6,470 
			 Charitable 11,090 14 900 2 540 1 170 0 23,120 
			 Non-charitable 50 0 — — — — — — — 
			 Other Voluntary Organisation — — — — 60 0 — — 60 
			 Other Local Authority — — 190 0 — — 650 2 1,110 
			 Total 80,200 — 42,540 — 54,720 — 41,730 — 413,580 
			  Note: Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source:  ILR

Departments: Epilepsy

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people with epilepsy are employed by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Data is not available on the number of people with epilepsy employed by the Department for Education and Skills. Declaration of a disability is voluntary and does not require staff to declare the nature of their disability.

Nursery Schools: North East Region

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many nursery school places were available in Gateshead, East and Washington, West in  (a) 1996-97 and  (b) 2006-07.

Beverley Hughes: The available information is shown in the tables.
	Table 1 provides information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds in Gateshead, East and Washington, West parliamentary constituency area. Data is provided for 2006 only because data is not available at constituency level for 1997.
	
		
			  Table 1: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2,3)  filled by three and four-year-olds  Parliamentary constituency: Gateshead, East and Washington, West  Position in January 
			   3-year-olds  4-year-olds 
			   maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 5)  total 3-year-olds  maintained nursery and primary schools( 6)  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers( 7)  total 4-year-olds 
			 2006 580 240 820 830 90 920 
			 (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Prior to 2004, information on early education places was derived from returns made by local authorities as part of the Nursery Education Grant (NEG) data collection exercise. These data were collected at local authority level, therefore, data for this parliamentary constituency for 1996-97 is not available. (4) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (6) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	Gateshead, East and Washington, West parliamentary constituency is split between Gateshead and Sunderland local authority areas. Tables 2 and 3 provide information about the part-time equivalent number of free early education places filled by three and four-year-olds for each of these local authority areas respectively.
	
		
			  Table 2: Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2)  filled by three and four-year-olds  Local authority: Gateshead  Position in January each year 
			   3-year-olds  4-year-olds 
			   maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  total 3-year-olds  maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  total 4-year-olds 
			 1997 1,300 n/a 1,300 n/a n/a (5,6)2,200 
			 2007 1,200 (7)690 1,900 1,700 (8)270 1,900 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) For 1997, four-year-old sub national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3 Part-time equivalent number of free early education places( 1,2)  filled by three and four-year-olds  Local authority: Sunderland  Position in January each year 
			   3 - year - olds  4 - year - olds 
			   maintained nursery and primary schools( 3)  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  total 3-year-olds  maintained nursery and primary schools( 4)  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers  total 4-year-olds 
			 1997 2,400 n/a 2,400 n/a n/a (5,6)3,700 
			 2007 2,300 (7)390 2,700 2,800 (8)140 2,900 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) A place is equal to five or more sessions and can be filled by more than one child. (2) Figures are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1000 and to the nearest 10 otherwise. (3) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (4) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the School Census. (5) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise. (6) For 1997, four-year-old sub national figures from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise can not be disaggregated between the maintained and private, voluntary and independent sectors. (7) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. (8) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the School Census. 
		
	
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release (SFR) 19/2007 "Provision for children under five years of age in England: January 2007", available on my Department's website:
	www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Primary Education: Teaching Methods

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what his latest estimate is of the number of primary school pupils receiving Government-sponsored one-to-one tuition in  (a) English,  (b) mathematics and  (c) other subjects.

Jim Knight: The Department for Education and Skills does not collect data on the extent to which individual schools are choosing to provide one-to-one support for their pupils in particular subjects from their own resources.
	Through the Every Child A Reader programme approximately 2,300 six-year-olds in England will receive one-to-one tuition in early reading from highly skilled Reading Recovery teachers in this academic year. Reading Recovery is an intensive one-to-one support programme aimed at those young children with the greatest difficulties in learning to read. Every Child A Reader will be rolled out nationally from 2008-09 benefiting over 30,000 children a year by 2010-11. We also intend to develop a similar intensive one-to-one support programme in maths.
	The Making Good Progress pilot begins in the next academic year and will include one-to-one tuition of up to 10 hours in English and/or maths to pupils behind national expectations who are still making slow progress. Our latest estimate is that in pilot schools (which will be both primary and middle schools) in 2007/08 6,100 children in key stage 2 will receive one-to-one tuition in English, and the same in maths. We anticipate that a similar number of key stage 2 pupils will receive the one-to-one tuition 2008/09.
	In the CSR it was announced that by 2010-11 300,000 pupils across both primary and secondary will be receiving one-to-one tuition in English and a further 300,000 pupils in maths.

Student Loans Company

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make it his policy to pass Student Loans Company (SLC) money deducted from a former students' monthly salary onto the SLC immediately after deduction; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Student loans repayments are not transferred to the Student Loans Company. They reduce the net assets, representing outstanding loans, on the Department for Education and Skills balance sheet. It is only information about repayments made by individual borrowers that is passed to the Company to allow it to issue annual statements. Once that information is received by the Company, repayments are attributed to each month of the tax year in which they were made by the borrower and monthly interest is calculated accordingly. This ensures that even if there is a delay in repayment details reaching the Company, the borrower does not pay any additional interest. No borrower pays too much interest as a result of the time lag in updating their account and nor does the Department or the SLC gain any additional income from the interest paid.

Training

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking  (a) to extend workplace training and  (b) to ensure that older people can improve skills.

Phil Hope: holding answer 21 May 2007
	Train to Gain is a new brokerage service designed to support businesses in finding the right training and skills for them to succeed. It helps to meet business demands through impartial advice linked to high quality training that is delivered in the workplace, wherever and whenever best meets the needs of the company. As at March 2007 a total of 135,860 employees were in programmes of learning, of which 23,610 (18 per cent.) were aged 50 or over. Plans are already under way to expand the Train to Gain service and the Leitch Review has recommended a significant further expansion of the programme. The Government response to the Leitch Review will be published this summer.
	More widely, older people benefit from the skills strategy, in particular our priorities to help people without the foundation of employability represented by basic skills and a first full level 2 qualifications.

Unruly Children

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what  (a) training and  (b) guidance is provided to teachers on the physical restraint of aggressive pupils.

Jim Knight: Individual schools are best placed to make decisions about the training needs of their staff. A number of organisations offer training in physical restraint and related techniques such as de-escalation. With funding from the Department of Health and Department of Education and Skills, the British Institute of Learning Disabilities has established an accreditation system for organisations offering such training.
	DFES Circular 10/98 provides schools with general guidance on the use of force to control or restrain pupils. This is currently being reviewed with the aim of publishing revised guidance later this term. The Department also provides more specialised guidance on physical intervention with pupils with special educational needs.